Srinagar, May 20: Troubles just don’t seem to be ending for the maiden Central University of Kashmir coming up in central Kashmir Ganderbal district.
While the budding institution is grappling with the issues like availability of space and full-fledged staff, it is all set to land in another trouble over the land identified for the University at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district, 20 kms from here.
On Thursday, scores of farmers from Tulmulla protested against the Jammu and Kashmir government and Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), accusing them of snatching their livelihood by transferring the land to Central University “which they have been cultivating for the past many years.”
“We have been cultivating food grains and vegetables on the land for the past 100 years and giving 25 percent of profit from the produce to the government. This was our sole livelihood,” said the farmers, who protested at Press Enclave here.
The land, they said, was in a shambles till their forefathers took up the challenge to develop it. “It is we and our forefathers who developed the land. Otherwise it was in a terrible mess. So how can the MHRD and state government ignore us this time and snatch our livelihood?” asked the farmers, who threatened to halt the campus construction if the state failed to compensate them.
The cultivators – numbering around 200 - demanded “adequate compensation” so that they don’t have to run from the pillar to post to earn their livelihood. “We agree that it is state-owned land, but we have been looking after its development with dedication. The authorities can’t construct the University at the cost of our livelihood,” said Ghulam Muhammad, a resident of Tulmulla. “We are not against the land transfer. We just want that we should not be deprived of our livelihood. The government perhaps wants us to resort to begging, which we won’t do. Let the authorities compensate us or face the agitation.”
The state-owned land, which the farmers are talking about, is spread over several hundred kanals. Of this a large chunk has been identified for establishment of the Central University by the MHRD recently. The state government is in the process of measuring the land before formally transferring it to the University for Campus Development.
According to CU officials, such “petty troubles” were much expected. “We are already late in starting work on the campus development because the state government has delayed the land transfer. Our funds have been blocked because of the delay in land transfer,” said a CU official, pleading anonymity. “It was the government which presented the Tulmulla land before the MHRD site selection committee. Why did they select Ganderbal for the CU establishment if they were expecting any dispute over the land there? The state identified the land for political reasons, but is now unable to solve the issues with farmers. That is completely unacceptable to us.”
When contacted, the deputy commissioner, Ganderbal, said, “We can give them (the farmers) the land developmental and improvement charges. We are considering that. But beyond that we can’t give any other form of compensation, not at least in the form of a job to each household. It is the state-owned land and they have just been working on it.”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 20 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 20 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 IST